Caixa D’Água da Esperança
Along the path of the road that once served as the railway bed between Tiradentes and Prados stations, the sight of a blue church dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima marks the arrival at the district of Caixa D'Água da Esperança. A few meters ahead, along the same road, stands the structure that inspired the place's name: a metal water tank about five meters high, used to supply water to the locomotives that passed by.
It was built around 1913, a few years after the operations of the EFOM railway began in Tiradentes. Next to the structure, there is a small loading and unloading platform made of cement and stone, also a remnant from that era. Some photographs record a small rectangular building to the left of the platform that served as a guardhouse and warehouse. Completing this scene, the oldest residents remember the eclectic-style crew houses and a luxurious chalet that belonged to the Baroness of Santa Maria.
The Baron and Baroness's Chalet
The region, in the rural area of Tiradentes, began to be occupied starting from Fazenda da Boa Esperança (Good Hope Farm), owned by the Baron and Baroness of Santa Maria. The farm had pastures for cattle raising and diverse crop plantations, mainly quince. The farm's headquarters was a chalet where the couple and their children lived, popularly known as the “Baroness's Chalet.”
It is believed that under the Baron's influence, the water tank and the platform were installed near the chalet to facilitate the transportation of farm produce by train. This same convenience attracted small rural producers of milk and fruit who settled on the fertile lands around it, thereby forming what is now recognized as the district of Caixa D'Água da Boa Esperança.
After the deaths of the Baron and Baroness, the farm diminished in influence, and the chalet was eventually demolished. However, some of its ruins remain. The stones, roof tiles, glassware, and furniture from the chalet were distributed throughout the region, and there are residents who keep these items in their homes as cherished relics.
Hope Gains a New Meaning
Although Fazenda da Boa Esperança remains a vivid part of the memories and imagination of the residents of Caixa D'Água, the word “hope” (esperança) in the district's name has taken on a new meaning and narrative through the railway's activities. According to oral tradition, the train driver needed to refill the locomotive with water and often did not find any at the stations and water tanks along the way, but the water tank in Tiradentes was always reliable. Thus, this water tank came to symbolize the hope for sufficient supplies to continue the journey as planned.
The little train that is passing here
The train regulated the daily routine and enriched the lives of the local people, who remember it affectionately, often referring to it as “little train.” The sound of the locomotive’s whistle in the distance, the sight of smoke rising above the trees, the heft of fruit boxes carried to the small stone platform, the anticipation of the morning train, and the night train signaling the day’s end—all these elements made the little train a central part of the community in Caixa D'Água.
In this rural settlement, far removed from urban centers, the train served as the primary means of access. With no roads available for cars and trucks, residents had only bicycles and horses as alternatives. Relying on the train significantly eased the journey to hospitals, schools, and commercial centers, and facilitated the sale of the area’s agricultural products—including milk, artisanal cheese, and fruits like bananas, oranges, and lemons—to major urban markets such as São João del-Rei and Barroso.
Fun at Caixa d’Água
The train was also associated with moments of meeting and leisure for the population. The locomotive allowed Caixa D'Água residents to host and visit family and friends, as well as being a place for young people to flirt. Soccer team matches also attracted young people: Esperança Futebol Clube was the team formed by boys from Caixa D'Água. It was common for train wagons to be booked to transport the teams and fans to other towns along the EFOM line where the matches would take place, such as Barroso, Prados, Campolide and Padre Brito.
A road of hope and longing
Despite the nostalgia, many residents of Caixa D'Água report positive changes that have taken place since the removal of the tracks. The opening of the road enabled dynamic and efficient travel for cars, vans, and trucks, freeing people from the constraints of train schedules. This provided greater autonomy for producers and individuals needing to access other cities.
When passenger and freight trains were discontinued, many people thought that highways would modernize transportation logistics throughout Brazil.
After the railway line was decommissioned in 1984, not only were the tracks removed, but the guardhouse at the stop and most of the crew houses were demolished. What remains are the water tank, the platform, and a house of railway architecture, which are now designated as cultural heritage sites in Tiradentes. To celebrate the structures that remain and the history they carry, a cycling tour was organized in 2013, the centennial year of the water tank. The tour started in Tiradentes and followed the road to the village.
“Near Caixa D'Água Stop, there was a pub about 100 meters away where people often waited for the train. This bar was quite famous. Locals would gather here to enjoy cachaça. One day, as they were drinking, someone joked, “But where is this train anyway? Will it ever get here?” At that very moment, the train did arrive but departed almost immediately, leaving them behind. Consequently, they had to walk to Tiradentes. They missed the train. We find it quite funny. Such misfortune, and all because of a little cachaça.”
Luiz Fonseca da Silveira, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“And what if the little train comes back? This place ended up feeling a bit duller without it, didn't it? Makes you miss it, doesn't it?”
Inácio Moreira de Paiva, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“We can still hear the whistle of the steam train as it arrives in Tiradentes. We still listen.”
José Pedro do Nascimento (Seu Juca do Lino), resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“It must be about 40 years since this train line was discontinued. I remember because that was around the time my nephew was born. He's as old as the era when the little train stopped running here.”
Valdivino José de Paiva (Seu Nonô), resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“The train then came from Barroso; it no longer stopped at Antônio Carlos. They were planning to shut it all down. It was the end. But then, we made a petition at City Hall—I was a councilman at that time—to keep the water tank there. And so, they preserved it.”
Luiz Fonseca da Silveira, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“For people here, the railroad was everything; it was our lifeline. Without the train, we would have to rely on horses or bicycles. I remember biking alongside the tracks. When my wife was expecting, she would start feeling unwell in the mornings. We lived right by the railroad, you see? By the time she told me she was feeling sick, the train had already passed. So, I had to take her on the bike to Tiradentes. From there, I arranged for transportation to take her to the hospital in São João del-Rei.”
Luiz Fonseca da Silveira, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“Originally, this place was simply known as Caixa D'Água. But then, the train drivers started calling it Caixa D'Água da Esperança, because if São João, Antônio Carlos, or Barroso ran out of water, here, water was never in short supply. Thus, it became known as Caixa D'Água da Esperança.”
uscelino Raimundo de Paiva (Senhor Tito), resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“I began dating Inácio. I was from São João and he was from here, from Caixa D'Água. We would travel by train from São João to here, take a walk, and then head back. He would come to my house. We spent our time traveling back and forth by train, just enjoying our walks together!”
Rosina da Silveira Paiva, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“Why, I used to sell bananas myself. I also sold candy and Galician limes right there on the train—those limes with the thin peel. We even sold fish on the train; back then, Rio das Mortes was teeming with fish.”
Luiz Fonseca da Silveira, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“Yeah, I used to collect milk there, you know? I kept track of everything: This person gave me so many liters; that one, so many liters. And then I would send the milk off to Barroso. It was a modest amount. Sometimes, it would go to Prados instead, where another cheese factory needed milk too. It wasn't a large quantity—about 500 liters to one place, 200 to the other.”
Luiz Fonseca da Silveira, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
“When I played soccer, I used to take the train to the matches. I'd travel to Barroso by train in the morning and come back in the afternoon. I had to bring a lunchbox with me too, since there was no food available there. So, there was always a lunchbox involved.”
Ari Fonseca da Silveira, resident of Caixa D'Água da Esperança.
Passenger train at the Caixa D'Água Railway Stop, headed to the Antônio Carlos Railway Station. Gentil, 1983. João Marcos Guimarães Silva digital collection, available on Facebook.
Locomotive passing by Caixa D'Água da Esperança. Olaf Rasmussen, 1977.
Bicycle ride held at the Caixa D'Água Stop in 2013 to commemorate its centenary.
Luiz Cruz, 2013. Author's collection.
